Throne of Glass

Sarah J. Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Reviews

I have successfully completed the book and all I can say is Wow. I've never read a book with such an awesome heroine and a good story plot all at the same time. Enough interesting characters throughout the story, though I still wish there was only one guy liking her but overall it played out nicely for them. I am excited for what this world Sarah J Maas has created and look forward to more great adventures and see what unfolds throughout the series. Like I said, Celeana is a powerful character that I truly adore. I lover her for her strong qualities, smart ass answers as well as her quick wits. Quite funny and overall someone who makes you wish you are her.

My original attraction to Sarah Maas’ high fantasy Throne of Glass series was because of my attraction towards the genre in general. There is something sublime about escaping to another time period, another land, another dimension altogether, and something to be said for writers who are able to capture a magical alien landscape while still preserving the human qualities that make the inhabiting characters, well, human.

The story is nothing new. An exiled girl from a prominent past is given a second chance to rise to a greater destiny than ever before. The fate of the world depends on you, Celaena Sardothien! But, nevertheless, Maas makes the adventure fun. I was hesitant about venturing into the fantasy world of an eighteen-year-old female assassin with an eye for handsome clothes and men alike, but I found Celaena and her companions to be quite intriguing. Maas does a great job hint-dropping, of not giving it away too fast—we come to understand the characters better this way.

Would I teach this book, or series rather, in a classroom someday? A core literature classroom, no. The storytelling and language conventions are often predictable and juvenile. Too much so to be placed on the curriculum roster. But definitely in an elective on sci-fi and fantasy literature. Throne of Glass can certainly be tackled to great effect in that sort of class; it is an easy and engaging read, and students that I have talked to about it thoroughly enjoy it.

This book was more amazing than I could have believed possible. I can see why so many people say this is one of their favorite books. Celaena was a very likable character. I'm really interested in getting more of her backstory. She is definitely intriguing and I find it admirable how she could still keep her humor and goodness after being in a horrible place like Endovier. I didn't see the ending coming. I was surprised by the turn of events which makes me so glad. Normally YA books can be predictable. Not this one.

Now onto Chaol and Dorian. I like both of these characters. As I know Celaena does as well. I don't know who I like more. Dorian is charming and awesome. I can see a lot of traits in him that I like. Chaol is more reserved which I also like. For Celaena, I like Dorian more, but that could be because Dorian is the kind of guy I probably would go for (if he wasn't a prince). I guess time will tell which one Celaena ends up with and either choice wouldn't disappoint me.

I liked this book quite a bit, but. The magical/fae elements seem a bit shoehorned in there. I got a bit bored whenever the spirit of the half-fae queen Elena showed up for a lengthy but ultimately ambiguous infodump. I like Celaena very much, and the love triangle is one that I don't despise (Team Chaol, obviously). Looking forward to the next installment.